Lancers clear a nek.
Feb. 15, 1900.] In Sight of Kimberley.
Gordon's men swept into line and thundered off, in dense clouds of dust, the dreaded 9th and 16th Lancers with their lances ready, and General French ordered his two other brigades to follow at a gallop. The cavalry avalanche broke upon the Boers with terrible vehemence; those who had not mounted their ponies and precipitately ridden off, were caught by the glistening steel of the lances, and there were some grim scenes in the brief seconds of the hand-to-hand encounter. It was well known that the Boers on their part rarely gave quarter to Lancers, whom they especially dreaded, and shot down mercilessly when they could. The cause was some story told by a romancing Lancer private after Elandslaagte—that he had stuck prostrate Boers "like pigs." Some fifty Boers were killed or wounded in this charge, and the general effect upon the enemy was thoroughly to demoralise them. The Lancers pushed on five miles in their furious gallop, maintaining, however, the most perfect order, and then were halted to allow the Horse Artillery guns to come up. Broadwood's Brigade pressed on yet further, and secured the débouché from the long nek upon the plains which surround Kimberley. The gate to Kimberley had been won.
The British losses in this dashing movement were ridiculously small. Less than a dozen men were killed or wounded. At a deserted farm an excellent well was discovered, and the men were able to quench their thirst; unhappily there was nothing for the horses, which were much exhausted. The night of the 14th-15th had been marked by one of those tropical downpours, so common in the rainy season, and the surface of the veldt was in consequence slushy and wet, trying the artillery and cavalry horses more than ever.
F. J. Waugh.]
In touch with Kimberley.
Capture of Alexandersfontein.
And now, about 3·30 p.m., as a ridge was breasted, far away over the plain the tall chimneys and mine gear of Kimberley came into sight. The column broke into a tumult of cheering. On the extreme left could be seen the kopjes of Magersfontein; over the veldt sounded the heavy booming of guns, and from time to time the puffs of smoke from bursting shells showed that an artillery fight was in progress. Broadwood moved off to the left with orders to demonstrate to the enemy that the British cavalry were behind them. General French, with the heliographers, climbed a small kopje on the right and set to work to open communication with the besieged garrison. For long his heliograph winked and flashed without attracting any notice, and all grew impatient. Then at last came an answering flash. But the garrison took General French's division for a force of Boers, and replied to his anxious signals with chaff, such as the signallers of the two opposed armies often exchanged. They lavished upon him a great deal of fictitious detail, until presently it dawned upon them that the British cavalry were in truth approaching. Then at last they informed General French that they had captured Alexandersfontein, a point seven miles from Kimberley and only five miles from the cavalry, and that the direction by which he was advancing was the best. Already, far away, the note of cheering came over the veldt. The British troops holding Alexandersfontein were rejoicing at the coming of their comrades.